Buying a home in Calgary as a newcomer

Can you buy a home as a newcomer?

Permanent residents can buy a home in Canada just like citizens. The federal ban on foreign buyers doesn’t apply to you.

Work-permit holders are covered by the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, which applies in the Calgary area (including Airdrie, Chestermere and Cochrane) and in Okotoks. But there’s an exemption: you can buy if your work permit has 183 days or more of validity remaining on the day you buy, and you buy only one home.

International students have a narrower exemption: tax returns filed for five years, at least 244 days in Canada in each of those years, a price of $500,000 or less, and one home only. Refugee claimants referred to the Immigration and Refugee Board and protected persons are also exempt.

The ban is scheduled to end on January 1, 2027, and in October 2026 the federal government said it was reviewing its options. Rules can change quickly, so Rene and your lawyer will check the rule that applies on the day you sign. This guide isn’t immigration or legal advice.

Getting a mortgage with a short Canadian credit history

You don’t need years of Canadian credit to get a mortgage. All three mortgage insurers have programs for newcomers:

• CMHC Newcomers: for permanent residents and people legally authorized to work in Canada (for example, on a work permit). Down payments start at 5%, and there’s no minimum time in Canada. Work-permit holders can only buy a home they’ll live in.
• Sagen New to Canada: for permanent residents and work-permit holders, from 5% down.
• Canada Guaranty Maple Leaf Advantage: for permanent residents and work-permit holders, with up to 95% financing on one- and two-unit homes.

Instead of a long Canadian credit history, these programs may accept an international credit report, a reference letter from your bank back home, or about 12 months of rent or utility payments in Canada. Each lender adds its own rules on top, which is why a mortgage specialist who works with newcomers is worth talking to early. Rene can connect you with one.

Building your Canadian credit

Start building credit as soon as you arrive, even if buying is a few years away:

• Open a Canadian bank account and a credit card. A secured card works if you can’t get a regular one yet.
• Use the card for small regular purchases and pay the full balance on time every month.
• Keep your balance well below your limit.
• Put utilities and your phone plan in your name, and pay them on time.
• Avoid taking on a car loan or other new debt in the months before you apply for a mortgage.

At least one borrower on an insured mortgage generally needs a credit score of 600 or more. A higher score gets better terms.

Your down payment, including money from home

The minimum down payment is the same for everyone: 5% of the first $500,000 of the price and 10% of the part above it (see how much down payment you need). Newcomers often build it from several places:

• Savings from the Philippines or another country. You can use them, but your lender needs to see that the money is yours and where it came from. Move it to Canada well before you buy, and keep the bank statements and transfer receipts from both sides.
• A gift from family. A non-repayable gift from a relative can be used for an insured mortgage. Most lenders ask for a signed gift letter and want the money in your account before closing.
• Your savings in Canada, including a First Home Savings Account once you’re a Canadian resident.

Don’t forget closing costs: roughly 1.5% to 4% of the price, in cash.

First-time buyer programs you may qualify for

Many newcomers are first-time buyers in Canada. Federal programs generally look at whether you lived in a home you owned in the current year or the previous four years, wherever in the world it was.

• First Home Savings Account (FHSA): save up to $8,000 a year, to $40,000, tax-free. You must be a Canadian resident and at least 18.
• RRSP Home Buyers’ Plan: withdraw up to $60,000 from your RRSP.
• 30-year amortization on an insured mortgage, for lower monthly payments.
• First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit: a $10,000 claim, worth $1,400 for a 2026 purchase.
• GST rebate on new homes of up to $50,000, for citizens and permanent residents.

The first-time buyer guide explains each one.

Planning for family

Many families plan for parents or relatives to join them, for a visit or for good. If that’s part of your plan, think about space when you buy: a bedroom and bathroom on the main floor, a basement that could become a legal suite, or a home close to transit and the places your parents will go.

If you’re looking at a home with a basement suite, check whether it’s legal and registered with the City of Calgary. It affects safety, insurance and whether a lender will count rent from it.

How Rene helps newcomers

Rene has helped newcomer families buy their first home here. He’ll go through each step with you in Tagalog, Ilocano, Bisaya, Ilonggo or English, connect you with a mortgage specialist who works with newcomers, and help you compare communities by commute, schools and budget. Past clients who were new to Canada wrote that he gave them “the guidance that we needed as newcomers and 1st time homeowners.”